The humble sandwich is often overlooked in the culinary world. In our eagerness to produce restaurant quality food we have somehow managed to forget about the simpler things in the kitchen.

Now making a sandwich of any means is no hard task, and what you do not need is a guide. However what I do feel is lacking are books and articles signing the praise of the sandwich and other picnic type foods.

An Extremely Short History of the Sandwich:

The sandwich was invented by John Montague the 4th Earl of Sandwich Kent, in 1762. He was an avid gambler and would spend hours at a table playing cards. It was for this reason that the sandwich was 'invented'. The Earl would ask servants to bring him slices of cooked meats between two slices of bread. This was an ideal way for him to eat a meal while still being able to hold his cards.

The sandwich has been passed down to us almost unchanged since this time.There have been Later innovations such as the crust-removal option which was discovered in the Victorian era and then the filled roll which was developed simultaneously in Scandinavia and Western States of the USA.

The so-called "sandwich renaissance" which lasted from 1965-1989 saw a burgeoning of the form, possibly inspired by the development of low-fat margarine's in the 1960s. In this period the number of commonly used sandwich forms jumped dramatically with the invention of the Breville Sandwich Toaster and the popularization of a number of sandwich forms invented in the early part of the 20th century such as the club sandwich and French stick (or submarine sandwich).

It had even been rumored that the British Government was setting up a governmental department along the lines of the Milk Marketing Board or the White Fish Authority with special powers for the promotion of sandwiches and sandwich-like technologies and of course the control of potentially hazardous sandwiches.
Sandwiches are now an everyday feature of Western life which many people take for granted. As a savory snack-food their popularity is second to none with only crisps (potato chips in the USA) being a serious contender. It seems almost inconceivable to think back to a time less than two hundred and fifty years ago when the humble sandwich was fresh-birthed, a thing to inspire wonder and which now seems set to continue to provide pleasure to eaters everywhere for centuries yet to come.

Now that you know the history of one of the worlds best snack foods, i would like to ask this of you. Follow me in starting the next 'sandwich renaissance'.
This is one area of food where you really can let go and do whatever you wish. The options are endless. However, saying this i would like to point out one thing.

The care and thoughtfulness should be put into sandwich making that you would any other type of cooking. This is an easy way of incorporating every food group into one meal.

There are hundreds of types of breads, meats, vegetables, cheese's, spreads and pickles that could be used. Why limit yourself to one, two or even three fillings. The sky really is your limit.

So the next time you cant be bothered to cook or want to make a sandwich, take my challenge. Imagine that this is the last sandwich you were ever going to eat and make it count!

Learn more about this author, Katrina Commodore.
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